Present Tense
by Mysteriol
Summary: "Do you still like him?" That was all Roxas really wanted to know. Liar, liar, pants on fire. – NAMIXAS AU.


Present Tense 

"Do you still like him?" That was all Roxas really wanted to know. Liar, liar, pants on fire. – NAMIXAS AU, fluff.

**Apply standard KH disclaimer.**

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She was sitting on the edge of his bed.

He was doing his best to control his raging hormones.

The fact that she was tickling his leg by running hers up and down against his skin was not helping.

A heartbeat passed. Then another.

She was staring down at an old class photograph of his. One that had fifteen other rowdy-looking boys staring right at her face.

He could not take the tension any furthur. The fact that he wanted to do was to smash her face against his chest and make crazy love to her was driving him to the brink of insanity and back. It was all he could do but to sit and stare forlornly at the girl before him who was paying him the least attention of all.

"What?" He stressed the exasperation in his voice. He _was _exasperated.

Why the heck his girlfriend was taking a century to look at his old class photo and not paying him a shred of attention like his newly ironed shirt, or hair (by the heavens – he even combed it and spiked it the way she liked it, just for her!) was beyond his comprehension.

It was frustrating. And he needed it to stop.

"Namine, _what?"_

She held out the photograph to him, her eyes suddenly holding a look he could not understand. Was it happiness, unbridled joy?

He swore, if it was those boys she was checking out in the photograph, he would kill every single one of them –

"I know this guy." She pointed to a particular man in the picture, her voice excited. She could not hide the rush of emotions lacing her tone.

Jealousy raged stronger than his uncontrolled hormones in his veins. Roxas squinted his eyes and snatched the photograph from his girlfriend.

"Which one?"

Oh. Fuck. _Him._

His academic rival who stole the number one standing from him in every Math test. The one who beat him in his English finals to snatch the number one spot by just ONE mark. ONE mark. The same guy who beat him in P.E. and smashed in that one soccer goal to win for his team.

His number one nemesis in his all-boys elementary school.

_Sora._

"What?" Roxas did nothing to hide his infuriation. "How did you know him?"

"I used to have a crush on him in high school for two years." Her eyes held a glint that deepened his infuriation ten folds.

(Roxas breathed. Do not punch a wall. Do not punch a wall.)

Yep. The next time Sora crossed his path, he was going to see his head in Hell's hole.

"You used to have a crush on Sora!?" Roxas breathed heavily.

Suddenly his world seemed very, very dark. Or maybe because he was trying hard to execute those anger management skills his rugby coach taught him three weeks ago.

Think of a dot. Think of a very small dot. And then think how to enlarge it slowly…bigger, bigger, bigger…Until it consumes your anger and every ounce of your desire to need to vent at someone, or something…

Even if the person's name is Sora, has nice burgundy hair, attractive features, infuriatingly good looks and charm—

URGH.

"Namine, answer me." Roxas reached out, his hand clasped around Namine. He did his best to hold her gently. He would never hurt the girl he loved.

She giggled, softly, lifting a finger to touch his face.

She loved it when he got angry like this.

"Are you jealous, Rox?"

"Namine, you're not answering me." He avoided her gaze, but still held her tight.

He ignored the fact that she was slowly crumbling his defenses by inching her face so close to his, her strawberry-scented hair was tickling his nose.

"Yes, I had a crush on Sora. If that's what you want to know."

Now she was fondling with the collar of his shirt.

He tried hard not to choke. From the nervousness of their distance, or his unbridled anger – he had no clue. That did not matter. He just needed to know.

Needed to know, dammit.

"So," he drawled, his voice almost choking with hidden anxiety, "do you still like him?"

A heartbeat passed. Then another.

When she did not answer him, merely looking down at his class framed photograph again, drawing her fingers up and down the same burgundy hair boy she had confessed her crush to her current boyfriend now, the frustration and tension cutting the atmosphere was almost suffocating.

Roxas thought he was going to pass out if she did not stop looking at Sora liked he was the only thing that mattered in the world.

And what?

Why did he care so much?

Why the _fuck _was his voice choking, his throat tightening, his guts twisting, his blood coursing, his eyes slitted, his lips pursed, his mouth frowning, his hand anxiously running through his blond strands until his hair was in chunks of mess?

Even if Namine still had feelings for Sora, he was sure he would still beat him anytime.

_You stupid same old fucking nemesis. _

Stupid Sora. Roxas gripped his hand into a ball, letting go of Namine when she simply looked away and focussed on the photograph.

_Fine. I can let you win a thousand Algebra tests, beat me in all my English scores, thrash me in all my soccer games, hand you the Captain seat to the rugby team… _

_But this – her, Namine. _

_I can't. I won't. _

"Namine?" Roxas slowly held up both hands, his voice uncharacteristically quiet and his eyes suddenly strangely defeated. "I get it, I really do."

He was about to pull away, preparing to crawl back into a small corner of his dormitory double bed where she sat on the edge across him, swearing to bury himself into a hole underneath a tree by midnight to mourn his loss of his girl to his nemesis (by the heavens, AGAIN. To the same person), when he looked down to his arms where her fingers had abruptly close upon his, intertwining tightly his strong ones against her silken skin.

Her eyes met his.

A pregnant pause.

His heart skipped a beat.

Her smile reached her eyes.

She held up both of their hands, to his face, so they were clutched, grazing his cheeks, and she bent forward to neaten his messy hair he had so anxiously messed up moments ago when he was angry and mad and so infuriated.

(She loved every minute of it. She wouldn't ever tell him that.)

"You're cute when you're angry, Roxas." She teased.

"Hfft, shut up." He made a face, looked away, but not before catching a breath when she snaked both arms around his strong waist.

She was _so _close.

She looked up. His eyes met hers – couldn't pull away. Held in place; entranced. Like magic.

"And cute, too, when you're jealous," she smiled, touching the corner of his lips so he was inadvertently smiling, too, though by force.

He did her best to ignore her, finding the ceiling suddenly very interesting. "Am not jealous…" His voice softened into nothingness, when she placed a finger to his lips.

Oh my god, if she came any closer, he swore he was going to pin her against the wall and get her out of her summer dress so fast, she wouldn't even had time to catch her breath. Whether she liked Sora or not. Whether she had no feelings for him at all, and still liked that burgundy-haired guy.

Urgh. He was losing it. Fast.

"Namine—" He needed her to leave before he lost all will to his mad, raging hormones that screamed devilishly to make out with his girlfriend _right now. _

And did she really need to look so delicious in her barely-there dress that left nothing to his imagination?

"Roxas, I _used to _have a crush on Sora." She laughed, not loudly. Her fingers were tracing patterns against his neck, driving him crazy, causing his blood to churn hotly. "You _do _understand your grammar, right?"

"_Used to_." Roxas repeated, narrowing his eyes.

She nodded, smiling into her boyfriend's gorgeous blue eyes.

"Uh-huh. Past tense. Past."

"Rrrright…"

Her fingers made a detour…to the under skin of his eyes, and stayed.

He caught his breath. Reminded himself to breath.

"Besides, I have you now, don't I?" Her fingers touched his lips. Briefly. Like featherweight.

"Me…" He breathed.

"_You_." Her smile was unfaltering. "That's present tense, Roxas."

"…Oh."

"Got your grammar right at last?" Her fingers never left that spot on his lips, moving to massage the bottom lip she knew where he liked best, where it left him trembling involuntarily often times.

Her eyes rested on his mouth.

And he _had _to smile.

How could he not? When the most beautiful girl in the world was looking right into his eyes, at his mouth, like this?

Besides, his hormones had enough of the wait already.

This… this was eternity. This was now. This was forever.

Sora could just go to hell and stay right where he belonged – in the past, as nothing more than past tense.

"Yep, got it," he answered softly, then proceeded to claim her mouth with his, drawing her into his arms before gently resting her against his bed and kissing the strap of her summer dress off her shoulder.

Against the sounds of silken bed sheets ruffling against the afternoon summer heat and skin on skin grazing, Roxas decided that she really, really ought to teach him more grammar the next time.

**FIN **

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…before I make this out into full-fledge M rated stuff. HAHAHAHAHA.

Review. Or else.


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